Older Women's Network: A voice for mid-life and older womenhttp://olderwomensnetwork.org
A voice for mid-life and older womenMon, 14 Aug 2017 18:24:06 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.18Participate in a study of LGBTQ networks of carehttp://olderwomensnetwork.org/participate-in-a-study-of-lgbtq-networks-of-care
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/participate-in-a-study-of-lgbtq-networks-of-care#commentsMon, 22 Jun 2015 06:38:03 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=4931Celeste Pang, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, is looking for participants in a study of LGBTQ networks of care being created later in life. She wishes to interview older adult LGBTQ community members throughout Ontario, as well as service providers who may serve this group in a caregiving capacity.

Celeste Pang, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, is looking for participants in a study of LGBTQ networks of care being created later in life. She wishes to interview older adult LGBTQ community members throughout Ontario, as well as service providers who may serve this group in a caregiving capacity.

(Toronto) In a new report, “Code Red: Ontario’s Hospital Cuts Crisis”, the Ontario Health Coalition warns that Ontario’s hospitals are living in a permanent state of crisis, having . . . → Read More: Code RED: Ontario’s Hospital Cuts Crisis]]>

CODE RED: One in Four Ontario Hospitals Facing Significant Cuts or Closure

Coalition Warns that Hospital Cuts Have Reached Crisis Levels

(Toronto) In a new report, “Code Red: Ontario’s Hospital Cuts Crisis”, the Ontario Health Coalition warns that Ontario’s hospitals are living in a permanent state of crisis, having been pushed by years of cuts into levels of overcrowding that are dangerous for patients and staff.

With the report, the Coalition released an interactive map of Ontario showing 51 hospital sites out of just over 200 hospital sites across the province that are marked as “Code Red”, denoting significant hospital cuts or threat of closure. This means that at least one in four of Ontario hospitals is experiencing significant cuts or closure.

Ontario is in its eighth year of real-dollar cuts to hospital global budgets. For the last three years, hospital global budgets have been frozen at 0% increases, which is in real-dollar terms a significant cut. After decades of downsizing, the cuts are biting ever more deeply into vital patient care services. The coalition is calling on the government to stop the cuts.

Key findings:

1. Many hospitals in larger communities are operating at 100% capacity or more – meaning all the beds are full and patients are lined up in stretchers in hallways. This puts hospitals into what is called “code gridlock” and staff are forced to discharge patients ever “quicker and sicker” to free up beds.

2. Internationally, the accepted evidence shows that a safe level of hospital occupancy is between 80% and 85%. Anything higher than this leads to higher rates of potentially fatal hospital-acquired infections, bed crises, backlogged and overcrowded emergency departments, patients lined in stretchers in hallways, inadequate clinical staff for patient load, long waits, ambulance offload delays and a host of other problems. These problems are frequently seen in Ontario’s larger towns.

3. Small and rural hospitals have faced disproportionate cuts and a number are at risk of total closure, despite overwhelming community opposition and dangers to patients.

4. Excuses such as “transforming health care”, “moving care to the community”, and blaming the bed shortage on Alternate Level of Care patients are simply cover for real hospital cuts to services that are not being – and cannot be — transferred to public health care services in the community. Too often, these are just cover for privatization of needed health care.

5. As small and rural hospitals experience devastating losses of service, patients find that the regional hospitals in larger towns have no capacity to take them either, as they too are being cut.

6. Ontario funds its hospitals at the lowest rate per capita of any province in Canada. Ontario has the fewest hospital beds left of any province in Canada and is near the bottom of the entire OECD in the number of hospital beds per population.

7. The true measure of affordability – hospital funding as a proportion of our provincial GDP – Ontario ranks nearly at the bottom of the country. We are 8th of 10 provinces.

(Toronto) An international health policy expert warned that the plan to close five hospitals in Niagara risks patient safety, “lacks any rational justification” and contains “glaring omissions”. Dr. John Lister, author of two books on global health reform and professor at Coventry University, joined a press conference at Queen’s Park from the U.K. by video conference today to give his analysis of the documents and reports used by the Minister and the LHIN to approve the closures of five communities’ hospitals across Niagara. His findings are contained in a report, “Niagara Health System: Under Threat” released by the Ontario Health Coalition, available at www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca.

Dr. Lister reviewed all of the publicly-published documents considered by the LHIN and Minister pertaining to the planned hospital closures in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls and Welland.

Key findings:

1. The plan to close Niagara-on-the-Lake’s inpatient hospital beds will drive up hospital overcrowding levels across Niagara to “dizzying heights” warned to Dr. Lister. Even before the planned closures, Niagara’s hospital overcrowding levels are far higher than internationally accepted standards for patient safety. Such cuts, Dr. Lister cautioned, would “create a system permanently living on the edge of crisis.”

2. With the closures, the Niagara Health System plan is to increase occupancy for complex continuing care beds to over 97%. Current occupancy for complex continuing care is over 93% according to LHIN documents. A safe level of bed occupancy is considered to be below 82%.

3. The Niagara Health System’s occupancy levels for acute care are 102%, placing the NHS among the most overcrowded hospitals in Ontario, according to a 2014 investigative report on hospital occupancy by journalist Jonathan Sher of the London Free Press.

4. Planned closures of complex continuing care beds are starting now in Niagara-on-the-Lake despite the extraordinary levels of hospital bed occupancy and the fact that Niagara has the second highest number of seniors but the second lowest number of long-term care beds per population, according to LHIN documents.

5. The report containing recommendations to close the hospitals approved by former Health Minister Deb Matthews, “is striking for its lack of even the most rudimentary analysis of local population and communities, demographic pressures, health needs, or logistical and access issues,” noted Dr. Lister. The regional LHIN failed to conduct an analysis of population need for care, did no environmental impact assessment for the plans to close five hospitals and transport all residents across the peninsula to a new greenfield site, and gave no consideration of the impact on ambulance services and transportation for patients, and a dubious costing exercise based on bed numbers that are unexplained. Furthermore, “no equality impact has been published.”

6. Dr. Lister reported that the provincial government appointed a Hospital Supervisor to address a c. Difficile crisis that had resulted in the deaths of more than 30 patients in Niagara’s hospitals, but the Supervisor’s report and recommendations offer “only one passing reference to hospital acquired infections” with no serious consideration of the reasons for the fatal outbreak, the problems containing it and what should be done to prevent future outbreaks.

7. Normal processes for plans that recommend such significant restructuring would include formal consultations, that are reported to the Minister and the public, which have not happened: “all we are left with is a vague reference to undefined advice from an improbably large number of individuals,” Dr. Lister reported.

8. Dr. Lister also warned about the immediate plan close the public hospital’s diagnostic services in Niagara-on-the-Lake and hand them over to for-profit companies, and the closure of needed hospital services many years before any new hospital is built.

9. Dr. Lister’s report notes that Kevin Smith’s report recommending the closures is unusual for its first-person style of writing and lack of evidence. After being appointed as hospital Supervisor, Kevin Smith replaced the Board of Directors and then was himself hired as CEO to the Board he put into place, while at the same time continuing his employment as CEO of the St. Josephs’ group of hospitals in Hamilton.

10. There is only $5 million difference in the costing between keeping all the existing hospitals open with needed refurbishments and closing five hospitals down; and this is before adding in the new costs for closing five hospitals, including the financing costs of a new hospital (which would likely entail a costly privatized P3 scheme) and additional new ambulance and transportation costs which would need to be added to get the total costs for the one-hospital model, reported Dr. Lister. He also found that there is no evidence in any of the reports regarding costs for operating the Niagara Health System under any proposed model.

The Ontario Health Coalition is deeply concerned that if five hospitals serving approximately 300,000 people in Niagara are closed, this paves the way for hospital closures all across Ontario.

The Health Coalition is calling on Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, at minimum, to immediately stop the closure of the hospitals across Niagara, and restore the services that are currently being closed in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We invite you to participate in a research study that is collecting information about incidents in which a refugee claimant was denied healthcare or required to pay a fee. This is part of a study on “Accessibility and costs of healthcare for refugee claimants following changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP)” conducted by a team of researchers led by Drs. Anneke Rummens at SickKids, Rick Glazier at St. Michael’s Hospital, and Cécile Rousseau NPA and Chris Greenaway at McGill University.

The main goal of the study is to assess the impact of the IFHP cuts on refugee claimants’ access to healthcare, health status, and costs. The study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and has received Research Ethics Board approval from the relevant institutions.

If you would like to take part in this study and report a denial of care incident, please contact the project manager Rodica Balaci at rodica.balaci@sickkids.ca or 416-813-7654, extension 202024; or Dr. Michaela Hynie at mhynie@yorku.ca or 416-736-2100, extension 22996.

Participation in the project is voluntary, confidential and completely anonymous. Your name will never be associated with the information you provide. Names of individuals and organizations will not be recorded. In addition to protecting your privacy and confidentiality, the research team will take all necessary measures to protect the privacy and identity of the patient, the healthcare institution and the healthcare provider involved in the incident. Please do not mention the patient’s name.

If you agree to take part in this study, a research assistant will phone you at a time of your choosing to explain the study in greater detail and to schedule an interview. During the interview, you will be asked some questions about your own experience working with refugees and refugee claimants, and the following questions:

– the patient’s sex, age, city of residence, country of origin, migratory status and type of IFHP coverage;
– the reasons for consultation (type of health problem);
– the type of healthcare institution (hospital, CLSC, walk-in clinic, etc.);
– the professional status of the person who communicated or decided to refuse care (e.g., receptionist, family doctor, surgeon, other);
– a brief description of the incident;
– the impact on the patient’s health, if any

The telephone or face-to-face interview normally lasts between 30 to 60 minutes and will be digitally audio-recorded. If you would like to consult your own notes regarding the incident prior to or during the interview, that would be welcome.

Thank you very much for your help! Your collaboration is essential to document instances in which refugee claimants have had difficulty accessing healthcare or experienced complete denial of healthcare. Your contribution to this research is most valuable and deeply appreciated!

OWN is a voice for mid-life and older women in Canada, one that challenges discrimination on the basis of age, gender, religion, or disability.

OWN works to achieve a society in which women are able to live in security and with dignity, and to participate in the decisions affecting their lives.

OWN members offer mutual support and share creative interests and activities.

OWN is an educational organization that embraces a feminist perspective in order to empower women to overcome injustices and inequities of gender in the home, the workplace and in society at large.

OWN’s Objectives

OWN is a volunteer organization that addresses the social and political issues that are important to all women.

OWN works independently and in partnership with like-minded organizations for social justice in Canada and abroad.

OWN initiates and supports public discussion of issues that relate to security and justice for mid-life and older women. OWN acts as an advocate for redress through alternative policies and legislation.

OWN supports women’s greater representation on decision-making bodies at all levels of government.

OWN enriches its members’ lives by coordinating social and educational activities.

OWN’s Achievements

Since 1988, OWN has sponsored public forums and advised government policy-makers on:

Ageism and the feminization of poverty

Gender equality and human rights

Affordable, supportive housing for women

Pension reform, financial planning and retirement security

Ending mandatory retirement

Legal aid entitlement

Environmental responsibility

Electoral reform

Elder abuse

Developed the OWN Housing Co-op, a 142-unit apartment building in Toronto for people of low to medium income.

Formed a partnership in Peterborough to provide affordable housing for six mid-life women.

Designed and supervised action research and community development projects. Reports are available.

“Finally a flash mob I can relate to. Filmed in Auckland, New Zealand, the participants are between the ages of 65 and 95, making this the world’s oldest flash mob. This was done as a promotion to improve adaptable and accessible housing for the aging population. I admire . . . → Read More: Never too old… our kind of flash mob!]]>

OWN member Kate Chung sends this in:

“Finally a flash mob I can relate to. Filmed in Auckland, New Zealand, the participants are between the ages of 65 and 95, making this the world’s oldest flash mob. This was done as a promotion to improve adaptable and accessible housing for the aging population. I admire their youthful approach and their having so much fun promoting the cause.

]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/never-too-old-our-kind-of-flash-mob/feed0Canada Revenue Agency warns against possible scamshttp://olderwomensnetwork.org/canada-revenue-agency-warns-against-possible-scams
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/canada-revenue-agency-warns-against-possible-scams#commentsTue, 04 Feb 2014 14:15:14 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=4540Forwarded to us by Canadian Pensioners Concerned: “The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) warns all Canadians to beware of telephone calls, mail, or email that claim to be from the CRA but are not. These are phishing scams that could result in identity thefts. Email scams may also contain embedded malware, or malicious software, that can . . . → Read More: Canada Revenue Agency warns against possible scams]]>Forwarded to us by Canadian Pensioners Concerned: “The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) warns all Canadians to beware of telephone calls, mail, or email that claim to be from the CRA but are not. These are phishing scams that could result in identity thefts. Email scams may also contain embedded malware, or malicious software, that can harm your computer and put your personal information at risk. The CRA does not email Canadians to request personal information.

“Canadians should especially beware of phishing scams asking for their personal information, such as social insurance, credit card, bank account, and passport numbers. Some of these scams ask for this personal information directly, and others refer the taxpayer to a Web site resembling the CRA’s where the person is asked to verify their identity by entering personal information.

“Examples of recent email scams that have been circulating include notifications to taxpayers that they are entitled to a refund of a specific amount such as $521.51 or $671.08; or informing taxpayers that their tax assessment has been verified and they are eligible to receive a tax refund. These emails are not from the CRA.

“To better equip taxpayers to identify possible scams, the following guidelines should be used:

The CRA never requests, by email, personal information of any kind from a taxpayer.

The CRA will never request information from a taxpayer pertaining to a passport, health card, or driver’s license.

The CRA will not divulge taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.

The CRA will not leave any personal information on an answering machine.”

]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/canada-revenue-agency-warns-against-possible-scams/feed0Changes to the Senior Driver Renewal Programhttp://olderwomensnetwork.org/changes-to-the-senior-driver-renewal-program
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/changes-to-the-senior-driver-renewal-program#commentsSun, 02 Feb 2014 17:57:09 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=4557On January 28, 2014, the Ministry of Transportation announced starting April 21, 2014, drivers aged 80 and over will no longer have to complete a written knowledge test to renew their driver licence.

Instead, they will participate in a shorter, simpler renewal program that includes:

a vision test a driver record review an improved, in-class . . . → Read More: Changes to the Senior Driver Renewal Program]]>On January 28, 2014, the Ministry of Transportation announced starting April 21, 2014, drivers aged 80 and over will no longer have to complete a written knowledge test to renew their driver licence.

Instead, they will participate in a shorter, simpler renewal program that includes:

a vision test

a driver record review

an improved, in-class group education session (GES)

two short, in-class screening exercises

if necessary, take a road test

Should you have questions about the new program, please visit Ontario.ca/seniordriver or call 1-800-396-4233 or 416-235-3579.

]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/changes-to-the-senior-driver-renewal-program/feed0Financial advice for low-income seniors at TRLhttp://olderwomensnetwork.org/financial-advice-for-low-income-seniors-at-trl
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/financial-advice-for-low-income-seniors-at-trl#commentsMon, 13 Jan 2014 22:24:01 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=4523Event recommended by OWN member Marilyn Schafer: ]]>Event recommended by OWN member Marilyn Schafer:
]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/financial-advice-for-low-income-seniors-at-trl/feed0World-wide women in music video from the U.N.http://olderwomensnetwork.org/world-wide-women-in-music-video-from-the-u-n
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/world-wide-women-in-music-video-from-the-u-n#commentsMon, 11 Mar 2013 21:42:03 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=3975From China to Costa Rica, from Mali to Malaysia, acclaimed singers and musicians, women and men, have come together to spread a message of unity and solidarity: We are “One Woman.” See the video at http://song.unwomen.org/ ]]>From China to Costa Rica, from Mali to Malaysia, acclaimed singers and musicians, women and men, have come together to spread a message of unity and solidarity: We are “One Woman.” See the video at http://song.unwomen.org/
]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/world-wide-women-in-music-video-from-the-u-n/feed0Peterborough OWN in a “flash mob” to remember Montreal massacrehttp://olderwomensnetwork.org/peterborough-own-in-a-flash-mob-to-remember-montreal-massacre
http://olderwomensnetwork.org/peterborough-own-in-a-flash-mob-to-remember-montreal-massacre#commentsFri, 14 Dec 2012 21:38:08 +0000http://olderwomensnetwork.org/?p=3879Peterborough OWN took part in a “flash mob” on Dec. 6th, to honour the 14 women who lost their lives 23 years ago in Montreal. The event was coordinated by the Peterborough Women’s Events Committee, with the YWCA taking the lead on this one. There were around 150 of us participating. We froze for two . . . → Read More: Peterborough OWN in a “flash mob” to remember Montreal massacre]]>Peterborough OWN took part in a “flash mob” on Dec. 6th, to honour the 14 women who lost their lives 23 years ago in Montreal. The event was coordinated by the Peterborough Women’s Events Committee, with the YWCA taking the lead on this one. There were around 150 of us participating. We froze for two minutes in a busy mall food court. It took about 30 seconds for shoppers to catch, then came silence… amazing! At the end of the two minutes, shoppers started to clap! Not many dry eyes at that point! Also, we got some local press: “Frozen like statues in a busy mall food court” (with video) in the Peterborough Examiner. — Jill Jones, Peterborough OWN
]]>http://olderwomensnetwork.org/peterborough-own-in-a-flash-mob-to-remember-montreal-massacre/feed0